Gathering enters new era

something that was going to last, so he instructed a company to build it and it now has a permanent roof and, my goodness, what a great asset for the games.’

Work actually started on improvements to the games field three years ago and the phased project is now complete. In the week leading up to the games, a small army of local residents turns out to help construct the various platforms and other bits of infrastructure needed for the event.

Alistair added: ‘Last year the loch was incredibly high and they asked me why we were not going to cancel it and I replied that the loch was not on the games field – yet.

‘It is my ambition in life, one year, to dive off the dance platform into the loch!’

The long list of chieftains appointed for the gathering include a large number of clan chiefs as is traditional.

But Glenfinnan Highland Gathering has also started to include invitations to local people who have made a substantial contribution to their local community and that is why this year’s chieftain will be the Left-Handed Fiddler of Lochaber, Aonghas Grant.

It was in 2015 that gathering stalwart and event secretary for 69 years, the late Ronnie MacKellaig – son of Archie MacKellaig – was honoured by the organisers.

And it was in 1969 that Archie, a Highland dancer, presented a young dancer, Mairi Monaghan, then aged just 13, with his dancing sword on the promise she would always bring it to each year’s gathering – and it is a promise she has kept for 48 years.

And this month’s gathering will be no exception. Now Mairi Illsley – her uncle, John Monaghan, was station master at Glenfinnan for many years – she will again be dancing steward.

‘I’ve been dancing steward for a long time and I intend to continue until I am using a zimmer frame,’ said Mairi, who previously taught at Lochaber High School and now lives in Yorkshire.

‘It is very much a gathering at Glenfinnan, a real gathering of friends and that what makes it so unique and special.’

❚ Alistair says he would be delighted to hear from anyone who has any old photographs, archive film footage and other historical records of previous gatherings which they would be willing to share. He can be contacted at: glengibby@aol. com

Photograph: National Trust for Scotland Collections.

Far left, a Glenfinnan Highland Gathering in the 1950s Photograph: Cameron-Head Collection; left, the late Ronnie MacKellaig with Mairi Illsley in 2015 and the sword presented to her by Ronnie’s father, Archie, in 1969; and, above, newspaper coverage...